Russia urges US, NATO to refrain from using post-Soviet states in military purposes

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on the US and NATO to refrain from using the territory of the former Soviet states for military purposes.

Speaking at the UN Conference on Disarmament on Tuesday via video conference, Lavrov stressed that the deployment of the US nuclear weapons in Europe is "unacceptable" for Russia and "contrary to the fundamental provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons."

Lavrov recalled that in February 2021, Russia and the US extended the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty for five years without any conditions.

Lavrov said the treaty's "key task" is to lay the foundations for future arms control and risk reduction measures, and invited Washington "to work together on a new "security equation" that takes into account all the factors of strategic stability in their interrelation."

"It is unacceptable for us that, contrary to the fundamental provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, there are still US nuclear weapons on the territory of a number of European countries.

"The vicious practice of 'joint nuclear missions' involving non-nuclear NATO countries persists. Within their framework, scenarios for the use of nuclear weapons against Russia are being worked out. It is high time to bring American nuclear weapons home, and to completely eliminate the infrastructure associated with them in Europe," he stressed.

Russia has always assumed and proceeded from the fact that there can be no winners in a nuclear war and it should never be unleashed, the minister said, adding that this principle is confirmed in the joint statement of the heads of states of Russia and the US, and separately in the joint statement of the heads of state of Russia and China in June 2021.

"It is important that on the initiative and with the most active participation of Russia, a joint statement of the leaders of the five nuclear powers on the prevention of nuclear war and the prevention of an arms race was developed and adopted on January 3 this year," he said.

- Russia reiterates its security guarantees demands

Lavrov also once again repeated Russia's security guarantees demands -- stop NATO's further expansion eastward, return NATO's military infrastructure to the state it was in 1997 when the Russia-NATO Founding Act was signed, and revoke the Bucharest formula, promising Georgia and Ukraine the membership in the alliance.

"I once again call on the United States, its allies, and clients to strictly fulfill their international obligations not to strengthen their own security at the expense of others.

"It is obvious that this would contribute to improving the military-political situation in the Euro-Atlantic, creating prerequisites for moving forward on the entire range of issues in the field of arms control, including possible work on new agreements," the minister stressed.

Lavrov said he hoped to present in Geneva personally, however, the EU refused "to observe one of the fundamental human rights -- the right for freedom of movement," he said implying the EU ban for the flight of his plane to Switzerland as part of the sanctions package against Russia.

"Choosing the path of unilateral illegitimate sanctions, the EU countries are trying to avoid an honest face-to-face dialogue, direct contacts aiming for finding political resolutions of acute international problems," Lavrov stressed.

The minister urged to refrain from dangerous steps in the military buildup, which could be seen as a violation of the principle of equal and indivisible security.

He then regretted that NATO members "refuse to abide by this exact fundamental principle in Russia's regard," and double efforts to contain the country.

Inviting Ukraine to NATO is one of the steps aiming to deter Russia, along with arms deliveries to Ukraine, holding military exercises, and other events near the Russian border, Lavrov said.

He also said "the irresponsible statements" of the Ukrainian authorities about the desire to possess nuclear weapons "is not an idle bravado."

"Ukraine possesses the Soviet nuclear technology and means of delivery of such weapons. We cannot but react to this real danger, I can reassure you that Russia as a responsible member of the global society, committed to its obligations about non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, takes all measures to prevent Ukraine from acquiring nuclear weapons and related technologies in Ukraine," he noted.

Lavrov urged everyone "to be aware of the necessity to solve this problem."

"Today there is an evident demand for intensive joint work aiming to increase the predictability, prevent new waves of the arms race. In the current conditions, it is necessary to refuse any actions directed for the dismantling of the architecture of the arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament," he said.

- Russia, China insists on signing agreement about preventing arms race in space

Lavrov said Russia, along with China, gives particular importance to the issues of preventing an arms race in space, including signing a multilateral legally-binding agreement.

He noted that the 1967 agreement about space contains a ban for deployment in space any kinds of mass-destruction weapons.

But this term does not cover other kinds of weapons, so using this gap, some countries started militarization of the space, which is fraught with severe consequences for global stability, he claimed.

"Russia and China submitted to the Conference a draft treaty on the prevention of the deployment of weapons in outer space, the use of force, or the threat of force against space objects. We consider it unacceptable to delay the launch of such negotiations. Attempts to replace a legally binding tool in this area with some half-measures in the form of "rules of responsible behavior" in space are considered counterproductive.

"We are convinced that negotiations on the prevention of an arms race in outer space will create a favorable background for moving towards nuclear disarmament -- another agenda item to which Russia pays the closest attention," he said.

- Lavrov hopes Conference on Disarmament will stop 'hazardous trends' in arms proliferation

Russia did not and does not have intermediate- and shorter-range missiles, and its unilateral moratorium for their deployment remains in force, Lavrov said, urging the US and its allies "to follow the example."

"Russia remains open to initiatives on multilateral negotiating formats on the prevention of an arms race and strengthening strategic stability. We believe that such ideas should be implemented on the basis of consensus, taking into account the legitimate interests and concerns of all potential participants," he said.

He particularly expressed hope that conferences on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the ban for nuclear weapons tests will be scheduled for this year.

He then said a trilateral initiative by the US, Australia, and the UK to create a new AUKUS partnership provokes questions because it has "negative influence for the regime of nuclear non-proliferation, provokes tension, and creates prerequisites for the beginning of a new round of the arms race" in the Asia-Pacific region and outside.

Lavrov said he expects the talks on the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, will end with success.

Creating a zone, free of nuclear weapons and other kinds of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, is of particular importance as well, he added.

Russia also urges the strengthening of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and is alarmed by the situation in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), noted Lavrov.

"Western countries have actually "privatized" this technical international structure (OPCW) and subordinated it to their geopolitical ambitions.

"The organization's secretariat is openly used by them for political pressure on 'undesirable' governments, against which unsubstantiated accusations are being made. It is in the interests of the world community to do everything possible so that the OPCW does not become an instrument for individual states to achieve unseemly narrow-minded goals," he said.

Lavrov said the UN Conference on Disarmament is able to make a significant contribution to global security, and stop "hazardous trends" in arms proliferation.

"If there is political will, the Conference participants can and should overcome their differences and reach mutually acceptable solutions that open the way to the resumption of negotiation work. There are chances for this," he added.